Grants support community, creative projects

Published on 18 June 2020

Thirty-nine local projects and initiatives will share in $160,000 in grant funding made available to support Hobart’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Resilient Hobart Grants were established to assist creative and community projects that responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic and physical distancing.

The grants opened in April, at the height of physical distancing and isolation, and drew a significant response from local organisations.

“This grants program helps community organisations to keep delivering their services using new approaches,” Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said. “It supports bright ideas to address the community challenges that have emerged from the pandemic.

“The grants also support our artists and creative organisations, which have been among the most badly affected by the crisis and contribute so much to the economy and vibrancy of our city.

“We know that investing in the good ideas and projects generated by our community will generate creative, social and economic dividends for Hobart.”

Through the grants, a total of $100,000 was made available for creative projects, with a further $60,000 allocated to support community-based initiatives.

For Terrapin Puppet Theatre – which has been successful in receiving a grant for its public performance project “Covidbusters” – the grant provides support when it’s most needed.

“As the arts and cultural sector starts to imagine a way forward, this grant helps us to put the pieces to together so we can start providing performances to the public once again,” Terrapin’s Artistic Director Sam Routledge said.

Other successful projects include a virtual music festival developed by a local teenager; a photographic exhibition challenging the way in which people living with disability are viewed; a documentary exploring the experiences of victims of domestic abuse; interactive choir and performance theatre initiatives; and a “Coronavirus Youth Challenge” that poses the question as to how young people might thrive through the recovery period.

A further 20 successful applicants have received up to $1000 for projects that help connect Hobartians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, under the Resilient Hobart Quick Response Grants program.